I assume that since this is a photography forum you mean to ask how to improve ones soccer photography, not soccer playing.

There are probably a few pros or near-pros on this forum who can give you better advice. But since nobody has responded yet, I'll give it a go. I was a soccer dad. So I studied how to maximize my success rate. It's hard, as you no doubt know. The field is large; the action is fast; you're can't be everywhere at the same time; and the action is usually happening where you aren't. Lastly, you want to get both faces and the ball in the shot. I would go a whole season and get maybe 3 or 4 shots that I was happy with. I shot with a 70-300mm lens. The long end was good for mid-field shots. But when the action comes right at you at the field boundary 300mm was useless. It happens too fast to switch lenses or grab another camera. You do have to be nimble on your feet in case you need to get out of the way. Use burst mode. f/5.6. Put the sun behind you. Never shoot into it unless you want silhouettes. Then try to guess where the action is going to be. I found that a position 1/3 from either end of the field had more action than the middle. The refs would get ornery if I got any closer to the goal posts because they thought the parent-me would cause me to become unprofessional.

1. Practice, practice, practice. You need to be good at tracking play and at understanding where the ball is going to be. 2. Buy the biggest and fastest lens you can afford. While the photographer's skill is the most important thing in Photography there are genres where good kit helps a lot. Sport is one of those. 3. Don't press the shutter button when the play is too far away for your lens or the players have their back to you. 4. Concentrate on framing. You want the ball in the shot and you want to ensure you don't chop off the player's head/hands/feet (unless you are trying to shoot a close up of their face). 5. Often the best shots aren't where the ball is, they are where the ball is going to be. One player kicking the ball doesn't make for a very interesting shot. When that ball sails into the area and three guys scramble to get it.... that is the interesting shot. In other words you need to understand where the kicker is going to put the ball and point your camera there so you are ready when the ball comes in. 6. Pre-focus for goalkeeper diving shots. - Sit behind the goal line to the side of the goal. Pre-focus on the area just in front of the goal post. When a shot comes in from the side the goalie will often dive to the side, which can make for a good shot.....

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